WTB - horn button for Flat 4 banjo steering wheel

Hi.

Does anyone have a used (READ: modestly priced) horn button that will fit the Flat 4 Banjo Steering Wheel?

I gave up looking for an affordable one with Porsche emblem, so any emblem will do, or actually just the plain ivory color plastic horn button would be even better.

Thanks for the consideration.

-dan

what size (in mm) do you need?

i made my own horn button out of a well-worn stock oval window vw horn button from thesamba and a enamel hub cap crest from stoddard (60mm).

looks perfect and fits like a glove. total cost was less than $60

This button fits the wheel http://www.vwispwest.com/product.php?ispproduct=vwispwest&cat=419&page=1&part=MNVWI-246 and they say it is about 81mm. not sure if that is true OD or OD of the part that fits inside the wheel hub.

I will measure it tonight.

i was shocked how well the cub cap crest fit the horn buttom assembly. it lookslike it is supposed to be there.

you could, on the other hand, get this one: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=595363

but what i did was get one like this: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=594446

and one like this:
http://stoddard.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=765

and about an hour later - it was done. :-)

Dear Paul,

thanks for the tip. the button on the samba is exactly what I was looking for! I have emailed the fellow to learn how to buy from him. (I already had the crest from Stoddards, and used it similar to how you describe on my old steering wheel)

Many thanks for the suggestion, and pointing me to the samba ad!

-dan

"i made my own horn button out of a well-worn stock oval window vw horn button from thesamba and a enamel hub cap crest from stoddard (60mm)."

Hey . . . me too ! !

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/button2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/button3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/button1.jpg

The really are easy to do, work just like a stock VW button, and just look PISSA, don't they?



Dan,

If you strike out on TheSamba looking for a VW horn button/assembly, I have one here.

Dear TC,

Thanks for the reply. I would quite prefer to deal with a fellow site member and speedster owner. What do you need for the horn button and how/where can I send the money to you?

Thanks,
-dan

Forum Freebie. Just email me where to send it.

If you run into trouble down the line, send all the stuff back to me and I'll make the button for you.

Dear TC,

Wow! Please know, your generosity will not be soon forgotten!

Let's also connect via email as I would like to return the favor to you, perhaps there are parts that I have, that you need?

My mailing address is:

Dan Teeter
19601 James Road
Noblesville, IN 46062

Many thanks and regards!
-dan

TC,
Would this horn button fit my banjo wheel? I got it from Jorge at Sierra Nevada Collection. What would you charge to make me one? Could I pick it up in time for Carlisle? or get it there?

Dusty

I'm not sure Dusty, I don't have a Nardi hub/adapter to check it against.

The outer edge of the button is 3 inches diameter, the center section that fits into the VW steering wheel pocket is 2.25 inches. I know that the button fits the Momo wheels pretty well, and drops into the opening of the Motolita wheel adapter perfectly.

You might need a rubber o-ring or collar to adapt it to your wheel. I usually find these neat little bit and pieces at Home Depot in Plumbing.

If you send the pieces necessary, I can make it up in a hour. Otherwise it takes as long as it takes to source the parts. If you find that a button like this would fit your wheel, and there's that Carlisle time crunch, I could probably sell the one that I made for my car, pictured above, since it's already done.

Outside diameter of mine measures 3.1875 inches. It is exactly the size of the original Porsche horn button. (I'm just too cheap to pay for an Original at $250 !!!!) My wheel is ivory and I just have an ivory button now. No time to order parts right now, either, as I leave for Morro Bay in just over a week and then home for 10 days before we leave for Carlisle. If you are at Carlisle I will take a look at yours and we can talk. Thanks.

Dusty

I just grabbed up a stock 356A steering wheel and the VW button drops nicely right into the pocket. I checked the accessory full circle horn ring and same thing. I have an original 356 horn button that is apart and the outer trim piece is a perfect fit to the VW button as well if you're looking for a factory press fit like an original 356A horn button would have.

All in all, it seems like a VW horn button with a Porsche hubcap crest is a cool alternative to an original; even if it doesn't quite LOOK factory, it does FIT factory. At least in original Porsche 356A steering wheels.

It sounds like what I am looking for. Send me an email (dustyjohn AT aol.com) with your phone and I will call you.

Happy Trails,
Dusty

Hey Dan,

Here's your VW button, just fund it in the mess and boxed it up. I'll try to get it out to you tomorrow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/engines/VWbutton.jpg

When you get it, take a moment to look it over, just to see how it's assembled. If you turn it over you'll find three little tabs inside recesses. These are part of the chromed trim ring and hold the whole thing together. Gently straighten these tabs with needle nose pliers and a tiny screwdriver. Once straightened out, gently push against them and the ring will begin to slide upwards until it's out of the plastic housing, releasing the plastic VW crest/button, contact disk, and spring. VERY SIMPLE!

The little wire on the bottom of the assembly would connect to the wire coming out of the steering column. This is attached to the horn assembly by a TINY set screw in the side of the little collar. Look closely and you'll see it. Access it from the side notch in the housing and use a teeny screwdriver that you might use for fixing a pair of glasses. Loosen the screw and pull the piece of wire out of there. Insert the wire from your column when the time comes to install everything and tighten it up. Try not to lose the set screw, it's nearly microscopic.

Easy Peasy if you look the whole thing over closely before you begin.


If you run into trouble, send back everything, include the Porsche crest, and I do it for ya.

Luck,

TC

Excellent! I am obliged to you for sending the horn button, and for the directions on adding my hubcap crest.

Many thanks, TC.

-dan

OK guys: installation tip please on how you mounted the Hub cap emblem to the horn button? The emblem I got from Stoddard has three studs on the back to attach to a hub cap with speed clips I think, but how did you guys mount it on the horn button? This emblem will look fine on my VS banjo wheel: the existing one is just plain black plastic and the crest / emblem will really dress it up. Thxs for the install instructions.
Doug

cut the clips off with side cutters (or carefully "pry" them off). the come off pretty easily.

then, take the vw horn button apart and put the hubcap crest in. very straight forward. the button itself isn't the part that completes the circuit - it pushes against the part that does.

"plastic VW crest/button, contact disk, and spring."

The contact disk is performing the electrical chores, hence the plastic VW button/crest.

Do just as Paul says. The crest isn't really being mounted as such, it's being placed/replaced into a moving assembly of bits and pieces. It's held in it's place by that assembly. Fancy words for two chunks of plastic a spring and a copper disk . . .

There is one other issue, depending upon who manufactured the Porsche hub cap crest, SOME of them as a little smaller than the others. The smaller ones are a perfect fit, the larger ones will need a tiny notch cut into the edge, just like you'll find on the VW crest.

The VW plastic base/housing as a vertical cast into in, and the plastic crest/button has a corresponding notch in IT/ This is done to keep the crest aligned upright so that the Wolfsburg Castle doesn't topple over or lean like the Pisa Tower. It also prevents lateral movement when depressing the horn button.

It's a quick zip with a Dremel wheel, you'll know if you need to do it when assembling the whole thing.

A last note: If the assembly is "tight" after pre-assembly. If there isn't enough up and down movement when you depress the button, or if it's binding a bit, you can remove the contact disk entirely. Since the Porsche crest is metal rather than plastic as the VW one is, AND it's flat rather than domed as the VW one is, it'll work fine without the contact disk. I didn't put the disk back in either of the ones that I've already made and they work PISSA!

Your choice, either way, no biggie.

Seems like a lot of words for a tiny task, once you open up the assembly you'll see how simple it all is. If you need a photo of an open assembly just post and I'll shoot one for you.

TC, a pic would be great...that and your advice should do the trick. I had a heck of a time just getting the original horn button out of the VS banjo wheel...I doubt it's ever been off. Driving it out from the back side was tough without a long thin drift ( what did you use? )to fit the access holes in the hub...and not much room to tap it out with a small hammer either! The horn button in my banjo wheel also looks like a larger diameter than the pics you had in an earlier post....not sure who's banjo wheel Kirk uses, but the horn button just looked different from your earlier pics. I'll re-read your instructions and prior pics this weekend and "get into it".
If you get a chance, the pic you mentioned would likely help ( one pic's worth a thousand words... ). Sounds like from your description that once I take it apart it'll look pretty obvious. Thxs for the time to respond! Spring has **finally** arrived here in Maine, and I need to get the car cover off & the Speedster out and my butt in the driver's seat!
Doug
drallenANTIVIRAL@maine.rr.com